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<br />Co) <br /> <br />.. in California through the AlI.Amt:'rlcan <br />Canal to the Imperial and Coachella Val. <br />leys: <br />.. In Arizona through the Central Arizona <br />Project to Phoenix and Tucson; and <br /> <br />.. LI-}rough the Alamo Canal to Mt:'lCko'8 <br />Mexlcall Valley. <br /> <br />Sinrp' 1fie 1940s:talitomlilhas .been..iillowe.o to_~ <br />use :nore than Its entltlement of Colorado <br />River .....ater. Ho.....ever. no..... as the Central <br />Arizona Project comes fully on line, California <br />will e\'entually lose that extra water (decreas- <br />ing its use of the Colorado River water from 5.3 <br />million acre-feet per year back to Its allotted <br />4.4 mlllion acre-feet per year). Coastal <br />southern California \010111 lose about half of Its <br />currently used Colorado River water supplies. <br />and will have to make up this loss through <br />other resources and vigorous conservation <br />programs. <br />Almost every drop of Colorado pjver water is <br />beneficially used. If there is a series of severe <br />droughts. continuing large-scale development, <br />or transfer of rights, use will shUt in the future <br />as more entitles start using their full allotment. <br /> <br />o <br />(..'1 <br /> <br />OJ <br /> <br />'.', - <br /> <br />Developing Water Rights <br /> <br />Because of the tremendous water needs <br />throughout the seven Colorado River Basin <br />s13tes, water Issues on the Colorado River has <br />always Involved bartt:'r and compromise. When <br />the first water projects were hullt, the cievdo~ <br />Ing West was eager to settle Its wtlderness. <br /> <br />Tvday's feat. though, Is of overdeveloping, and <br />one lac tor has remalned constant throughout <br />this century: everybody wants to obtaln and <br />preserve their rights to their share of Colorado <br />River water. <br />Because 01 the scarcity of water and In view of <br />political realities of the West during Its <br />development, It's hard to Imagine how con. <br />troversy and 1lllgatlon over the Colorado <br />could have been avoided. A stronger federal <br />role would probably have been unacceptable. <br />The western states have tradltlonally lought <br />federal control over states' resources. par- <br />ticularly water. <br /> <br />Apportionments 01 water from the river and <br />agreements to support water projects were <br />hammered out by determined, desperate <br />people because each concession of additional <br />.....ater to one person was viewed as po!>sible <br />deprivation to someone else. No state's repre- <br />sentatives could go home from the bargaining <br />table and expect to survive politically with less <br />than what was possible to obtain. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Laws of the River <br /> <br />The Secretary of the Interior. <br />through the Bureau of <br />Reclamatlon. operates the <br />river according to the laws of <br />:~'JJVt;J:" th~t have eyolved . <br />over the years. These laws In- <br />clude both federal and state <br />statutes, Interstate com- <br />pacts, <,ourt decisions and <br />decrees, contracts with the <br />United States, international <br />treaties, operating criteria, <br />and administratIve decisions <br />such as: <br /> <br />Colorado River Compact- <br />an inha-state agreemenl <br />dividing the waters of the <br />Colorado River among the <br />seven bastn states CT.5 mil- <br />lion acre-leet of water annual- <br />ly to the upper basin and 7.5 <br />milUon acre-feet of water an. <br />nually to the lower basin). <br /> <br />Bo:J!der Canyon Project <br />Act-to control floods, rego. <br />late flows, deliver water, and <br />generate electrical energy. It <br />authorized construction of <br />Hoover D3(l1, Hoover Dam <br />powt:rplant, Imperial Dam, <br />and the All-American Canal. <br /> <br />Mexican Water Treaty of <br />1944-provtded for delivery <br />to Mexico of 1.5 million acre- <br />feet of Colorado River water <br />AflOually. <br /> <br />Tbe Upper Colorado River <br />BaAln Compact-an atlree- <br />men I that divided the upper <br />Colorado River Bastn's allot. <br />ment of 7.5 million acre-feet <br />annually of Colorado River <br />water among the upper bastn <br />states of Colorado, New <br />Mexico, Utah. and Wyoming. <br /> <br />... <br /> <br />The Colorado R1~r Storage <br />Project Ad-to develop the <br />water resources of the upper <br />basin Including dams such as _ <br />Glen Canyon, flaming Gorge. <br />Blue'"teSa:6'ystal, ~10rrow <br />Point, Navajo, and Curecant!. <br /> <br />The: Supn=mt" Court Decree: <br />In Amona v. Callfom/a- <br />divided the 7.5 mllllon acre- <br />feet of Colorado River water <br />allotted to the lower basin <br />among the three lower basin <br />states of California, Arizona, <br />and Nevada. <br /> <br />Colorado Rlve:r Basin <br />Salinity Control Act- <br />authorized the construction, <br />operation, and maIntenance <br />of projects In the Colorado <br />River Basin to controllhe <br />salinity of water delivered to <br />water users In the United <br />States and Mexico and to sal- <br />vage and conserve water. <br />Colorado River Front Work <br />and Levee Syetern Act-to <br />modify the Colorado River In <br />order to control erosion and <br />sediment movement, im. <br />prove hydraulic efficiency of <br />the river, and correct <br />dralnage problems. <br /> <br />Minute 242 with Mexico-- <br />provided that the salinity ot <br />Colorado River water <br />delivered to Mexico above <br />:\10r'e1os Dam will be no more <br />thAn 115 parts per mllllon <br />greater (Plus or minus 30) in <br />salinity ove:r the salinity of <br />Colorado River water arrIv. <br />log atlmperlal Dam_ <br /> <br />u.s. Department o{ the {nterior <br />Bureau 0; Reclamation <br />Lower Colorado Region <br />Yuma Projects Office <br />Po. Box D <br />Yuma, Ari.:ona 85366 <br /> <br />(602) 343.8/13 <br /> <br />